mark poulson

I got them from LurePartsonline. Thanks.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lunkerhunt_Swim_Bento_Minnow/descpage-LHSWMBT.html

I have that happen if I don't hold pressure on the injector for five seconds or so.

I use #6 X 3/4" or 1 1/4" coarse thread drywall screws. I use a piece of spinnerbait wire to make a centered pilot hole, and then just screw them in. They hold great, and do the job. And they're "economical".

Maybe the curly bits are over vented. Try blocking off all but the very last vent, and see if that keeps the plastic going to the end.

Dude, you need to change your screen name. Every time I read one of your posts, I want to get up and make myself something to eat! Hahaha

If your mold doesn't have vents in the other half, I'd suggest you drill some small vent holes from the curly tail tips out to the side of the mold. And spray your mold with cooking spray before you shoot it. Hit the "more reply options" tab at the lower right corner of the reply page. It will let you attach pictures.

Before you spend a lot of time trying to figure out a formula on paper, take a look at the baits that are commercially available. I think you'll see there is a wide variation in them, because they are all shaped and weighted differently. Pick out some that are designed to dive and swim like you want yours to, and see what they all have in common. There is no shame in learning from their successes. Everything I know about lure making I learned here on TU, from members who shared. If you want to flatten your forehead from pounding your head into the wall, look up vortex in the hard baits search feature, and see all the work that Vodkaman (Dave) has done. Good luck.

If you mix a drop or two of water into your RTV silicone, it will set up much faster. How much water depends on how much silicone. Take a caulking gun with GE Clearseal or similar 100% silicone in it, squeeze out a 2" bead into a mixing bowl, add a drop and mix it for 10 seconds. Then see how long it takes to set. That should give you a good idea of how water acts as a catalyst.

I use the butt and rod seat to hold an old baitcasting reel that I use for removing good line from another reel, when I want to change line sizes, but don't want to throw the other line way. It makes respooling the used line easy later on, and no line twist.

Price them high enough that you don't feel used when you sell them.

Here's my guideline. The lip is there to catch the water, and both to give the bait a wiggle and to help it dive to a specific depth. Wake baits, and shallow runner sit level in the water at rest, so they need the most angle for their lips, to catch the water when the retrieve is begun. My wake baits have an 80+- degree angle off the centerline of the bait, as drawn from the front hook hanger to the rear hook hanger. My 1.5 baits have a 35-40 degree angle. If I want a bait to run deeper, I add more ballast at the belly hanger, and it hangs down more at rest, and the angle of the lip decreases, so it will still catch water and not just blow out. So I use about a 20 degree angle. And my deep divers hang most nose down at rest, so I put the lip in more or less parallel with center line, at 0 degrees. Every bait design will require some adjustments, but that is my starting point. If you know what kind of bait you want to make, use a similar commercial bait as a stating point, and expand from there.

Do a test on some scrap, so you don't waste a bait.

The smoother you get the bait at first, the less grain will be raised by the sealer. A water-based sealer will raise more grain, because the wood absorbs some of the water and swells the looser top grain. But, since you are going to prime over the sealer anyway, there is really no need to go crazy with super fine grit paper before you seal. And every wood/sealer combination is different. I'd suggest you do a test piece of whatever wood you're using with 80 grit, 100 grit, and 120 grit, and see which one works best for you. Sand, seal, and see how each grit looks. That will tell you how smooth you need to get that particular wood/sealer combination.

The buzzbait blades I've seen have been either aluminum or plastic, because they are light materials. Aluminum can't be plated, but it can be anodized with chrome look. Shower enclosures have that finish. But I'm guessing it would make the blades expensive. There are some simulated chrome plastics out there, but I've never seen a chrome plastic buzzbait blade.

Thank you.

I want some .062 wire for making prop baits. Ideally, it would have a loop on one end, and be 12"+-long. So far I have only found .052 wire from LPO, and it bends too easily. Anyone have a source?

Thanks guys.

Ben, With the older units, weren't you able to hold a light bulb next to a microwave and it would glow if there was a leak?

Microwaves have been around a long time now, and the ones that used to leak were the very early versions. The way the microwave doors on every one I've used are made, they would leak out of the sides of the doors, if they leak at all. And they all have a control panel on the right hand side that is flush with the door face, so it blocks any leaks in that direction. I think standing in front of the microwave is probably the most shielded place, and I do my pouring on the right hand side of my microwave, so I'm shielded there, too.

I'm going to buy some to clear my headlights, and I'll try it on a lure.

I ran out of vinegar the other day, and wanted to clean some white oxidation off an old jig head, so I used an orange. I just cut an X into the orange, pushed the head in, squeezed a little to get the juices flowing, and pulled out the jig after 10 seconds. It is citric acid, and did the job. Rinsed it in water, and then coat it with nail polish. It's not ideal, but it worked in a pinch.

Their glow in the dark stuff looks like the pigmented powder sold by Glonation. I have that, but it make the entire bait glow. I was hoping someone made actual glitter, in the same sizes as we use for soft plastics.

I still have some in the garage somewhere. Since I moved everything is in there, somewhere! Hahaha

You could just use Formica. Easy homeowner fix.